A Democratic Documentary

Keya Lea Horiuchi, a filmmaker from Colorado, is touring the region with her documentary film Considering Democracy: 8 Things to Ask Your Representative. Horiuchi traveled around the world asking people what they thought of the United States. Our current administration is billing democracy as a cure for all the world’s political ills. But what does the rest of the world think about U.S. domestic and foreign policy? Americans are continually told through their media that freedom and democracy are being given to people abroad, but is this true? Topics like health care, foreign policy, the media, campaign finance, foreign aid and even vacation time are discussed by citizens of 10 different countries, resulting in an eye-opening snapshot of world politics and international relations today. Considering Democracy will screen locally at the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center on Tuesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. A $5 donation is suggested, but no one will be turned away. For more info on the film, log on to www.consideringdemocracy.com.

Female stars find fertile ground for comedy

By Devin D. O’Leary

Success has many parents; failure is an orphan. Given that truism, it’s easy to trace the lineage of Baby Mama back to today’s reigning queens of comedy, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Take Fey and Poehler out of the equation and Baby Mama is a harmless piece of PG-13 fluffery. Keep them front and center and Baby Mama pops with energy, intelligence and humor.

Ensemble Israeli drama overwhelms by inches

By Devin D. O’Leary

This weekend, the Israeli Film Festival returns to the Guild Cinema in Nob Hill. Presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Mexico, the five-day festival will present a trio of cutting-edge Israeli films. Beaufort is a historical drama zeroing in on the Israeli Army’s brief occupation of a 12th century Lebanese fort, which marked the start of the first Lebanon war. The Bubble is a popular tale of sexually progressive twentysomethings living in Tel Aviv’s hippest neighborhood. Jellyfish is a half-dreamy drama about three very different Tel Aviv women whose intersecting lives highlight their long-unspoken sadness.